Dr. Baniya is originally from Nepal. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from Purdue University in 2017, and her B.A. in Economics and a B.A./M.A, in Mathematics from SUNY-Potsdam in 2012. Through her doctoral work at Purdue University, she is associated with the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the Global Trade Analysis Project. Currently, she is co-authoring a research project at the World Bank, investigating the trade effects of the Belt and Road Initiative of China using econometric and GIS analysis. Additionally, she is co-authoring a research project at the Asian Development Bank, investigating the general equilibrium impacts of infrastructure reforms in the CAREC region and China using a combination of CGE and GIS analysis.

Current Research and Teaching

Dr. Baniya's research interests focus on the effects of timeliness on the international trade pattern in the presence of global production linkages, using both econometric and computable general equilibrium analysis. Her findings have important policy implications for boosting developing countries' participation in higher value-added and time-sensitive industries, and she plans to pursue additional research on international trade and economic geography for developing and emerging markets.

She teaches international economics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Working Papers

"The Trade Effects of the New Silk Road," (with N. Rocha and M. Ruta), World Bank Working Paper. 2018.

"Effects of Timeliness on the Trade Pattern between Primary and Processed Goods," IMF Working Paper No. 17/44. 2017.